“We were like grasshoppers in our eyes and so we were in their eyes” Why was it necessary for the spies to repeat themselves, if they were trying to say how big the natives of the land are it would have been enough to say once, we were like grasshoppers compared to the giants. Rashi appears to be explaining this issue when he quotes the Medresh that the spies overheard the giants saying “there are grasshoppers in the vineyards that are like people”. Meaning to say the spies not only felt as small as grasshoppers compared to the giants, but also the giants noticed how small we were as we heard them say “there are grasshoppers like people in the vineyards”. However there is another way of explaining the spies’ observation. The reason why the giants looked down at the spies as if they were grasshoppers was only because the spies themselves felt that they were grasshoppers. Since they looked at themselves as lowly as a grasshopper, that’s how others saw them as well. As they heard the giants say that there are people the size of grasshoppers in the vineyards. There is an important lesson to be learned from here, if a person feels that he is insignificant and incapable, that he doesn’t have the abilities to be successful then the end will indeed result in failure. Only one who believes in himself and feels that he can do it will be successful in the end. This is the meaning behind Rabbi Akiva’s statement to his students, “what mine and yours is hers”. Rabbi Akiva had just returned home with twenty four thousand students, when his wife Rochel tried to reach him to greet him. The talmidim tried to push her away but Rabbi Akiva let her in telling the talmidim everything we have is in her merit. How is it possible that such a successful empire of Torah was all because of Rochel? This is what Rabbi Akiva meant; I never felt that I had the ability to become a Talmud Chacham, I was only a shepherd. Yet Rochel came and encouraged him and gave him the self esteem and the motivation to succeed. Without that there would never have been a Rebbe Akiva. This is one of the Yatzer Hara’s most powerful battle moves, to discourage a person and to make him focus on his shortcomings, to confuse a person until he loses the self confidence to go out and succeed. A person may already be slipping when the Yetzer convinces him to do one more Avaira, because “you will never be anyone anyways”, until a person gives up and continues to sin and follow the Yetzer’s instructions. But if a person realizes the strength and the abilities that he has inside, and that every person has his goals and directive in this world, than he too will be able to succeed and leave this world pure and clean, as Chazal say Hashem rejoices when a person comes before him pure and clean. There is no person out there that does not have the strength and the abilities to reach this level, he just needs to believe in himself , for if you don’t the result inevitably will be “and so we were in their eyes”. |
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When Rebbe said this over last year in the Chumesh Shiur, he was approached afterwards by Rabbi Grunburger (St. Louis – Yerushalayim) who told over a story about the Israeli general Effi Etam. After Effi Etam retired from the IDF, already a grandfather several times over, he decided to travel around the world. Over the course of his trip he ended up in the North Pole. Before the group headed out on their expedition he asked the guide what to do in the event of meeting a polar bear. The guide told him he has nothing to worry about as polar bears are rarely found in the areas that they will be heading to. But Effi persisted what would I do if we happened to bump into one. The guides turned to Effi and said if you do come face to face with a bear stand up straight and tell the bear “My name is Effi Etam, I am a decorated general in the Israeli Army, and I am here touring and would appreciate it if you please went away! Not sure if the guide was serious or joking they began their expedition. Sure enough Effi got separated from the rest of the group and next thing he knew he was facing a huge polar bear. Terrified Effi thought his end was near, after a lifelong career in the IDF he was about to meet his end with a polar bear in the middle of nowhere. Then he remembered the guides instructions, figuring he had nothing to lose he stood up straight and tall and told the bear “I am Effi Etam a decorated general in the Israeli Army, I am here touring and ask you to go away!” Sure enough the bear turned around and lumbered off. Shocked and confused Effi made his way back to the rest of the group, he could not understand what just happened, was this some sort of magic trick or something similar that charms bears? He found the guide and told him what had transpired, and asked him to explain the bear’s behavior. The guide explained to him that polar bears in these parts rarely attack people. Unless they come upon a person who is panicking and unsure of himself – those are the ones who get attacked. This was my advice to you, stand up confidently without showing signs of nervousness and the bear will pick up on the self confidence and leave you alone. What you actually tell the bear is irrelevant what’s important is to exude confidence. |
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The Chofetz Chaim also explains the chet of the meraglim along these lines. The spies felt that in order to merit Eretz Yisroel they would have to be perfect Tzadikim, but since they felt they were not on that level they would not be successful in conquering the land. To see the Chofetz Chaim inside click here With this in mind let’s take the time to focus on the abilities that Hashem has given each one of us, and to use those strengths to serve Hashem accordingly to grow in Torah, to work on our Davening, and not to say “I can’t” and with Hashems help we will succeed. Rebbe has a new phone number for those who have been trying to reach him. The number is 011-972-54-843-3750. Emails sent to rebnissan@gmail will get passed on as well normally within 24 hour |
